In an interview with Flickering Myth (via Cinema Blend), Pet Sematary lead actor Jason Clarke addressed the film adaptation changing a key character’s storyline, and said author Stephen King didn’t have an issue with the alteration. The film’s big change became a sticking point among fans when it was revealed in the latest trailer that Ellie Creed was the one who gets hit by the truck, dies, and is resurrected. In the original novel, Ellie’s little brother Gage was the one killed and resurrected from the dead.
“It’s pretty easy to justify [the change]. You can’t play that movie with a three-year-old boy. You end up with a doll or some animated thing.” Clarke said. “So you’re going to get a much deeper, richer story by swapping for a seven-year-old or nine-year-old girl. The reward will come. People who are upset will hopefully see the benefit of it. But a lot of people didn’t have an issue. Stephen King didn’t have an issue with it.”
RELATED: Coming Soon Visits the Set of the New Pet Sematary!
Pet Sematary is based on the seminal horror novel by Stephen King which follows Dr. Louis Creed (Jason Clarke), who, after relocating with his wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz) and their two young children from Boston to rural Maine, discovers a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near the family’s new home. When tragedy strikes, Louis turns to his unusual neighbor, Jud Crandall (John Lithgow), setting off a perilous chain reaction that unleashes an unfathomable evil with horrific consequences.
RELATED:Pet Sematary Trailer: What’s Dead Should Stay Dead
Paramount Pictures‘ adaptation will be directed by Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kolsch (Starry Eyes) and is written by Jeff Buhler, the showrunner for Syfy’s upcoming horror science fiction series, Nightflyers, based on the George R.R. Martin novella. Lorenzo di Bonaventura (1408, Transformers) is producing along with Mark Vahradian and Steven Schneider (Insidious).
Pet Sematary is slated for release on April 5.
Pet Sematary (2019)
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Pet Sematary (2019)
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Pet Sematary (2019)
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Pet Sematary (2019)
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Pet Sematary (2019)
Left to right: Amy Seimetz as Rachel, Hugo Lavoie as Gage, Jason Clarke as Louis and Jeté Laurence as Ellie in PET SEMATARY, from Paramount Pictures.
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Pet Sematary (2019)
PET SEMATARY, from Paramount Pictures.
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Pet Sematary (2019)
Left to right: Jason Clarke, Director Kevin Kölsch, Director Dennis Widmyer and John Lithgow behind the scenes on the set of PET SEMATARY, from Paramount Pictures.
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Pet Sematary (2019)
PET SEMATARY, from Paramount Pictures.
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Pet Sematary (2019)
Left to right: John Lithgow as Jud and Jeté Laurence as Ellie in PET SEMATARY, from Paramount Pictures.
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Pet Sematary (2019)
Left to right: Lucas Lavoie as Gage and Amy Seimetz as Rachel in PET SEMATARY, from Paramount Pictures.
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Pet Sematary (2019)
Left to right: Jason Clarke as Louis and John Lithgow as Jud in PET SEMATARY, from Paramount Pictures.
